Launch of INTERREG MED’s Horizontal project ‘InnoBlueGrowth’

Activities have started for the INTERREG MED’s 2016 InnoBlueGrowth “Horizontal Communication & Capitalization project for Innovation in Blue Growth at Mediterranean level”.

Led by the National Interuniversity Consortium for Marine Sciences (CoNISMa), the partnership counts on the experience of the CPMR’s Intermediterranean Commission (IMC), the Association of Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME), Plan Bleu, the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), and the University of Montenegro.

InnoBlueGrowth’s main objective is to ensure the communication and capitalization activities of the thematic “modular” projects (studying, testing and capitalizing projects) in order to increase their impacts towards common identified targets. In the case of the InnoBlueGrowth, these activities are focused on the increase of the transnational activity of innovative clusters and networks of key sectors of the Mediterranean area.

InnoBlueGrowth will implement concrete actions—a communication strategy, community building initiatives and capitalization events, among others—to build a real community of modular projects, dealing with Blue Growth. This innovative community will allow the reinforcement of the cross-cutting and integrated approach between modular projects and transnational key stakeholders, which is a sine qua non condition to support Mediterranean clusters in their transnational activities processes.

Three modular projects have been already assigned to InnoBlueGrowth, entitled MAESTRALE, PELAGOS and PROteuS that focus on blue, sustainable energy developments and maritime surveillance. More modular projects are expected to be assigned to InnoBlueGrowth making thus an expanded blue growth community.

InnoBlueGrowth partners had met during a first session last November 9, 2016 and officially kicked off on December 12-14 in Athens, at the premises of the School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens. The issues that were discussed included:

The finalization of the project’s first deliverables, e.g. mapping of the community: modular project partners, associate partners, potential stakeholders and key players in Blue Growth.

The action plans for strategic communication, community building and capitalization of synergies.

A virtual meeting with InnoBlueGrowth’s associate partners and the partners of the assigned modular projects.

And, among other things, the elaboration of the agenda for the launch community event that will be held on February 20-21, 2017.

The next meeting of the project is the launch of a Blue Growth Community in the Mediterranean. Focusing on connecting innovation cluster and network in key sectors, it will consider Blue Energy, Maritime Surveillance and the Yachting Business Model.